Any guesses about what's to come in 2023? How about in 2123?
Over the weekend, a Twitter thread with predictions made in 1923 about life in 2023 went viral. The suggestions, made by scientists and sociologists, range from the realistic to the outlandish, including four-hour workdays, 300-year-old people and men who curl their hair. Check out the Tweets from researcher Paul Fairie here
.
One change those 1900s experts couldn't have foreseen that could take place this year is a national ban on affirmative action policies at higher education institutions.
ICYMI: The Supreme Court heard arguments in two such cases in October and is expected to make a decision this summer. BBJ Reporter
Matt Hooke
spoke with several area colleges and universities to better understand how the institutions are preparing for a potential ban or curtailing of such practices. Here's what he found
.
It's going to be warmer and cloudy today with temperatures in the mid-60s and a light breeze in the evening.
Now, onto your first '8 things' news roundup of the year.
- Several state and local politicians will be sworn into their new positions starting as early as this week. Anthony Brown, the state Attorney General-elect, and Ivan Bates, the new Baltimore City State's Attorney, will be sworn in today. And in two weeks, Maryland Comptroller-elect Brooke Lierman and Governor-elect Wes Moore will also be sworn in. WBAL
- The new year also brings new legislative priorities for Maryland's U.S. House and Senate members. Some you may have heard of already, like attempting to revive the Red Line light rail project or improving resources for the Chesapeake Bay. But U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume is instead focused on securing protection for witnesses from intimidation in violent crime cases, a factor that makes prosecutions difficult to come by in Baltimore and other communities. Baltimore Sun
- Wall Street is off to a comfortable start in 2023. Dow futures rose 149 points, or .44%, Tuesday, while S&P futures gained .51% and Nasdaq 100 futures rose .73%. According to CNBC, history shows the market tends to rebound after down years. The major averages closed 2022 with their worst annual losses since the Great Recession in 2008. CNBC
- A former original Harlem Globetrotter, who is also a West Baltimore native, has plans to build a new athletic and educational center on Greenspring Avenue where the Coldspring, Parklane and Edgecomb neighborhoods meet. The "CommuniVersity," which Charles "Choo" Smith plans to call Arise Baltimore, will provide programming focused on serving youth, and later retail and housing at the former Dr. Roland N. Patterson Senior Academy building. Baltimore Banner
- The
Baltimore Ravens
are looking to extend their lease on M&T Bank Stadium for at least 15 years, and as long as 25 years. The state will now consider the new lease that will allow the pro football team to use state funding approved last year for improvements to the South Baltimore site
. The team's current lease does not expire until the end of 2027, but according to notes in a Maryland Board of Public Works agenda, it appears the Ravens want to get updates to M&T underway soon. Baltimore Sun
- In other NFL news, the
Buffalo Bills
player Damar Hamlin who collapsed during last night's game is said to be in critical condition this morning. Hamilton suffered a cardiac arrest during a game against the
Cincinnati Bengals
, the team shared. The game was subsequently suspended. NPR
- This local small business update came across my Instagram feed last night and I felt it was worth sharing. Popular Canton cafe and pastry spot, Cafe Dear Leon, has made a change to how it pays its employees so that it can continue to provide a sustainable and consistent livable wage. Instead of paying employees above minimum wage and asking customers to provide tips, the cafe will no longer accept tips and instead will apply a 12% service charge to each customer's ticket. The cafe notes in its post that this is "something new that we are trying" and asks for understanding from customers. It's an example of how another business — be it large or small — is adjusting to the rising cost of living and a growing trend of better-supporting employees, especially in the restaurant and hospitality industries. (Instagram
)
- Is anyone out there participating in dry January? If so, there's never been a better time to participate in the increasingly popular trend of avoiding alcoholic beverages for the first month of the year. According to NPR
, we're in a "golden age" of nonalcoholic beers, wines and spirits. More than 70 new items have been launched in this space over the past year. The market now sees almost $400 million in annual sales. (Of course, that's just .47% of the overall alcohol market).
One more fun addition to kick off the New Year — a recipe I tried over the weekend for pumpkin bread with brown butter and bourbon, from New York Times Cooking
.
This newsletter was compiled by Carley Milligan, digital editor at the Baltimore Business Journal. I can be reached at [email protected].
